Adjustable beds are known in the art and provide improved comfort to persons resting thereon by permitting various portions of the sleeping surface to be selectively adjusted to different positions. Generally, these adjustable beds comprise a mattress supported on a bedframe having an adjustable mattress support. The mattress support includes one or more adjustable panels, and typically between about three and five adjustable panels. The adjustable panels are moveable from a horizontal position to permit various portions of the mattress to be raised and/or lowered to thereby provide a comfortable position for persons reclining thereon. The adjustable panels may be moved by manual manipulation of individual panels, by hand cranks, or more typically by linkages actuated by motors provided in a base of the bedframe.
When adjustable beds are operated to raise and/or lower various portions of the mattress, the mattress has a tendency to shift longitudinally on the support unless it is constrained. In the past, mattresses used on adjustable beds have been constrained by a mattress retainer in the form of a plate or rail disposed at the foot of the bedframe and extending upwardly alongside the foot of the mattress. Besides detracting from the aesthetic appearance of the bed, this type of mattress retainer also creates a barrier at the foot of the bed which may be uncomfortable to persons who are sitting on the edge of the mattress. A need therefore exists for an improved mattress retainer for use with adjustable beds which overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art.